Getting ready to do a live interview on Capitol Hill with Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) That's congressman Steny Hoyer buttoning his coat, photo left.
I don't believe America is so weak that this can't be fixed.
Showing posts with label congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label congress. Show all posts
Thursday, April 21, 2011
What To Do About America's Budget?
I don't believe America is so weak that this can't be fixed.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Go Ahead: Take the Rest of the Year Off!
Just for the record, the budget our legislative and executive branch are fighting over right now, was due last October. October 1, 2010.
During the budget fights I covered in the Reagan administration, the fears and threats of shutdowns actually took place when the budget was due. Imagine that. Such a long time ago.
Today, in 2011, if Congress passes another continuing resolution to keep the government from shutting down we will be past the half way mark of the year with no budget, and just six months to go until the next one is due.
Under the circumstances, I think a government shut down is an excellent idea. Why don't they take the rest of the year off?
Last fall, September 2010, the White House was held by a Democrat, and the Senate and the House had firm Democratic majorities. If this group of stalwarts wanted to pass one of those bloated, pork laden, debt-inducing, middle-of-the-night bills that have been the norm in recent years, all they had to do was do it.
They could even have gone one better and passed a thrifty budget. Whooppee for that idea.
Ah, but there was an election in November. No one wanted to go into that dragging around the weight of having made a decision. Someone might hold it against one.
So all of the weasels--and I must say there are a large number of them in both parties--slunk out of Washington, having passed a continuing resolution and, like Scarlett O'Hara, said they would "think about it tomorrow."
Tomorrow came after the election, when the Democrats still had the majority until the new Congress arrived in January. And, once again, they decided to "think about it tomorrow." Christmas was coming and they wanted to fly off to Bermuda or Borneo or the U.A.E. to give those zillion dollar speeches that include private jet travel and executive suites for their families (and/or mistresses) and golf rounds with the local emir. (Don't think I'm exaggerating. You can look it up.)
Another continuing resolution.
And now, the tomorrow that they were going to think about several yesterdays ago, has arrived again.
If they can't get an agreement this time, I hope they refuse to pass a continuing resolution and just shut the thing down.
Give everybody the rest of the budget year off. Don't worry: the "essential" government workers will still be funded from some mystery account, so the G-men will still hunt perps and those old folks won't go without their checks.
Sure, we'll miss our National Parks and I know a lot of people will be sorry to know those IRS auditors will be "on leave." But, we can all save gasoline by having a barbecue in the backyard this summer instead of going to Yellowstone. Put that stack of tax receipts back in the drawer with a sigh of relief. Who understands the tax code anyway?
So, no budget? Give our federal workers the rest of the year off. Force austerity through stupidity if you can't find it any other way.
And Congress should be on the furlough list too: at present, they are a luxury we can ill afford.
Volunteers could do a better job. Girl Scouts anyone?
P.S.The next budget is due October 1, 2011.
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During the budget fights I covered in the Reagan administration, the fears and threats of shutdowns actually took place when the budget was due. Imagine that. Such a long time ago.
Today, in 2011, if Congress passes another continuing resolution to keep the government from shutting down we will be past the half way mark of the year with no budget, and just six months to go until the next one is due.
Under the circumstances, I think a government shut down is an excellent idea. Why don't they take the rest of the year off?
Last fall, September 2010, the White House was held by a Democrat, and the Senate and the House had firm Democratic majorities. If this group of stalwarts wanted to pass one of those bloated, pork laden, debt-inducing, middle-of-the-night bills that have been the norm in recent years, all they had to do was do it.
They could even have gone one better and passed a thrifty budget. Whooppee for that idea.
Ah, but there was an election in November. No one wanted to go into that dragging around the weight of having made a decision. Someone might hold it against one.
So all of the weasels--and I must say there are a large number of them in both parties--slunk out of Washington, having passed a continuing resolution and, like Scarlett O'Hara, said they would "think about it tomorrow."
Tomorrow came after the election, when the Democrats still had the majority until the new Congress arrived in January. And, once again, they decided to "think about it tomorrow." Christmas was coming and they wanted to fly off to Bermuda or Borneo or the U.A.E. to give those zillion dollar speeches that include private jet travel and executive suites for their families (and/or mistresses) and golf rounds with the local emir. (Don't think I'm exaggerating. You can look it up.)
Another continuing resolution.
And now, the tomorrow that they were going to think about several yesterdays ago, has arrived again.
If they can't get an agreement this time, I hope they refuse to pass a continuing resolution and just shut the thing down.
Give everybody the rest of the budget year off. Don't worry: the "essential" government workers will still be funded from some mystery account, so the G-men will still hunt perps and those old folks won't go without their checks.
Sure, we'll miss our National Parks and I know a lot of people will be sorry to know those IRS auditors will be "on leave." But, we can all save gasoline by having a barbecue in the backyard this summer instead of going to Yellowstone. Put that stack of tax receipts back in the drawer with a sigh of relief. Who understands the tax code anyway?
So, no budget? Give our federal workers the rest of the year off. Force austerity through stupidity if you can't find it any other way.
And Congress should be on the furlough list too: at present, they are a luxury we can ill afford.
Volunteers could do a better job. Girl Scouts anyone?
P.S.The next budget is due October 1, 2011.
Subscribe to Robin Chapman News
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Bail Out the Big Three? Join us in the Bail Out Blues
Won’t it be fun for you and me and the guy who bags my groceries to own a piece of all those poorly managed banks in America? The money was set aside by Congress to buy up bad mortgages, to help keep taxpayers in their homes, to loosen up the credit markets so more Americans—and American businesses—could buy the things they need. Instead, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson says he’s spent $250 billion of the $700 billion to buy shares in shaky banks. He asking for the next round of banks to apply for the $100 billion he’ll be doling out in December. We taxpayers certainly are generous with our Christmas presents.
The next thing you know we will all own a piece of the Big Three U.S. automakers. Won’t that be great? All that money the government withholds from your paycheck propping up three more badly managed companies. My Dad always told me I should own some GM stock. Of course, that was a long, long time ago back when GM used to be known as a Blue Chip stock.
I recognize that bankruptcy reorganization for GM, Ford, and Chrysler would put a lot of people out of work. But not all these companies would fold. General Motors still sells about 21% of the cars purchased in America, and though that is less than half the share held by GM twenty years ago, Americans will still need to buy cars. The system of free enterprise that has made our country the greatest nation in the world for innovators and inventors only works as well as it does because it has a down side too: when companies are mismanaged or not providing products we like, or aren’t innovative or adaptable enough, they have always been forced to fold and start over.
Bailing out failed companies will become an endless cycle and in the end, I do not think it will stave off a big recession or a depression. It might make matters worse. Bad companies will limp along and eventually fail anyway after having sucked up billions and billions of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.
From my years as a reporter in Washington I have come to believe that Washington is a town run by lobbyists. In this crisis lobbyists for beleaguered industries have flooded the offices of members of Congress and the Department of the Treasury with their panic visits and doomsday scenarios. The bureaucrats inside the beltway respond best to the guys who tug at their sleeves the hardest.
A friend of mine, who has toiled away all her life at a low-paying job, led a thrifty life, given more to her company that she has asked in return, has never gone over her head in debt, and always made her mortgage payments on time told me the other day, that she and some of her coworkers were preparing their bailout letters to send to Congress. They want to know why they can’t be bailed out too.
And though she was using what is known in America as gallows humor, her point was made: nobody in Washington has a big fancy office that lobbies for you and me, the taxpayers. Will we be getting dividends from these companies we’re bailing out? Not bloody likely.
Quick: name a really cool American car. A really cool American car that get’s good mileage? A really cool American car that gets good mileage and is competitively priced?
That’s okay, you can get back to me later.
The next thing you know we will all own a piece of the Big Three U.S. automakers. Won’t that be great? All that money the government withholds from your paycheck propping up three more badly managed companies. My Dad always told me I should own some GM stock. Of course, that was a long, long time ago back when GM used to be known as a Blue Chip stock.
I recognize that bankruptcy reorganization for GM, Ford, and Chrysler would put a lot of people out of work. But not all these companies would fold. General Motors still sells about 21% of the cars purchased in America, and though that is less than half the share held by GM twenty years ago, Americans will still need to buy cars. The system of free enterprise that has made our country the greatest nation in the world for innovators and inventors only works as well as it does because it has a down side too: when companies are mismanaged or not providing products we like, or aren’t innovative or adaptable enough, they have always been forced to fold and start over.
Bailing out failed companies will become an endless cycle and in the end, I do not think it will stave off a big recession or a depression. It might make matters worse. Bad companies will limp along and eventually fail anyway after having sucked up billions and billions of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.
From my years as a reporter in Washington I have come to believe that Washington is a town run by lobbyists. In this crisis lobbyists for beleaguered industries have flooded the offices of members of Congress and the Department of the Treasury with their panic visits and doomsday scenarios. The bureaucrats inside the beltway respond best to the guys who tug at their sleeves the hardest.
A friend of mine, who has toiled away all her life at a low-paying job, led a thrifty life, given more to her company that she has asked in return, has never gone over her head in debt, and always made her mortgage payments on time told me the other day, that she and some of her coworkers were preparing their bailout letters to send to Congress. They want to know why they can’t be bailed out too.
And though she was using what is known in America as gallows humor, her point was made: nobody in Washington has a big fancy office that lobbies for you and me, the taxpayers. Will we be getting dividends from these companies we’re bailing out? Not bloody likely.
Quick: name a really cool American car. A really cool American car that get’s good mileage? A really cool American car that gets good mileage and is competitively priced?
That’s okay, you can get back to me later.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday's Child: Full of Woe
America is such a great country (I always say to my friends) it survives even its leaders. After over-regulating everything in the years 1941-1981 our friends in Congress have gone about under-regulating everything in the years since. Now, thanks to a lack of oversight, we’re getting everything from lead-tainted Thomas-the Train-Engines from China to greedy capitalist con men blowing up the entire economy for the price of toxic bundled mortgage derivatives. Not to mention the fact that your local phone company won’t fix any of the lines inside your house or that credit card companies are now free to charge 100% interest rates, or that if you want to fly from Miami to San Francisco you have to go there by way of Ontario, Canada with stops in Harlingen, Texas and Reno, Nevada, and you still have to pay extra if you want to take a suitcase with you.
I covered the Hill for a long time in Washington D.C. and I never in my life saw the leadership of either party ask members to vote for a bill the outcome of which was not known in advance. That’s how it works. If the leadership wants a bill to pass and they don’t have the votes, they don’t put the bill up for a vote: they continue to tweak it until it will pass. I’m sure Democratic speaker Nancy Pelosi knew the thing was going down and put the bill up for a vote to give everyone in her party cover: anyone in her party voting for it, could blame Republicans if the bill failed and the economy tanked. Anyone in her party voting against it could say to constituents “You let me know you were overwhelmingly against this means of rescuing the U.S. economy” and that would provide them with a second kind of cover if the economy tanked. Once again, a political ploy was more important than what really happened to the country. With Louis in Casablanca I’m “Shocked! Shocked, to learn that gambling is going on here.” (Pass me my winnings.)
The sky is falling. The sky isn’t falling. Bail out Wall Street. Bail out Me. Americans are paying attention, we just don’t know who to believe anymore. The grownups keep wheeling out George “H.H.” Bush (H.H. for Herbert Hoover) having told him what to say, and he keeps warning us, and he has so little credibility left everyone treats him the way they treated Vice President Harley Hudson in Advise and Consent. “That’s great Harley,” (while not listening). “Oh yes Harley,” (while reading something else). “Fine, Harley,” (not hearing what he just said).
FDR called in a “brain trust” to help him solve America’s devastating economic problems after he was elected in 1932 (he wasn’t President in 1929 in spite of what Joe Biden thinks) and that makes sense. No President can be expected to know what to do when something this complex needs fixing. You call in specialists. And when you are the President of the United States and the problem is this important you should be able to call in the smartest specialists in the world. There has to be somebody out there smarter than Henry Paulson, formerly of Goldman Sachs, one of the fine financial institutions that got us into this mess in the first place.
If so, whose brain would you trust? It is too late for George Bush to call in anybody and the contents of his own cranium have been in doubt for several years now. But we should be studying the character of these two presidential candidates to discover, not what they say they are going to give us when they are elected, but to discern what kind of judgment they have to know when they need help and what kind of help they would seek when they saw they needed it. I haven’t seen a positive sign of this yet, but I continue to be optimistic.
I was looking forward to the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday night as a silly sort of food fight between Dumb and Dumber, but now I just want to cover my eyes. I’m not sure I’ll even be able to watch. I’m hoping they will both surprise me and be articulate and intelligent. Right now, I want everyone who has the potential to be a leader in this country to have an abundant supply of those qualities. My version of supply side economics.
I covered the Hill for a long time in Washington D.C. and I never in my life saw the leadership of either party ask members to vote for a bill the outcome of which was not known in advance. That’s how it works. If the leadership wants a bill to pass and they don’t have the votes, they don’t put the bill up for a vote: they continue to tweak it until it will pass. I’m sure Democratic speaker Nancy Pelosi knew the thing was going down and put the bill up for a vote to give everyone in her party cover: anyone in her party voting for it, could blame Republicans if the bill failed and the economy tanked. Anyone in her party voting against it could say to constituents “You let me know you were overwhelmingly against this means of rescuing the U.S. economy” and that would provide them with a second kind of cover if the economy tanked. Once again, a political ploy was more important than what really happened to the country. With Louis in Casablanca I’m “Shocked! Shocked, to learn that gambling is going on here.” (Pass me my winnings.)
The sky is falling. The sky isn’t falling. Bail out Wall Street. Bail out Me. Americans are paying attention, we just don’t know who to believe anymore. The grownups keep wheeling out George “H.H.” Bush (H.H. for Herbert Hoover) having told him what to say, and he keeps warning us, and he has so little credibility left everyone treats him the way they treated Vice President Harley Hudson in Advise and Consent. “That’s great Harley,” (while not listening). “Oh yes Harley,” (while reading something else). “Fine, Harley,” (not hearing what he just said).
FDR called in a “brain trust” to help him solve America’s devastating economic problems after he was elected in 1932 (he wasn’t President in 1929 in spite of what Joe Biden thinks) and that makes sense. No President can be expected to know what to do when something this complex needs fixing. You call in specialists. And when you are the President of the United States and the problem is this important you should be able to call in the smartest specialists in the world. There has to be somebody out there smarter than Henry Paulson, formerly of Goldman Sachs, one of the fine financial institutions that got us into this mess in the first place.
If so, whose brain would you trust? It is too late for George Bush to call in anybody and the contents of his own cranium have been in doubt for several years now. But we should be studying the character of these two presidential candidates to discover, not what they say they are going to give us when they are elected, but to discern what kind of judgment they have to know when they need help and what kind of help they would seek when they saw they needed it. I haven’t seen a positive sign of this yet, but I continue to be optimistic.
I was looking forward to the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday night as a silly sort of food fight between Dumb and Dumber, but now I just want to cover my eyes. I’m not sure I’ll even be able to watch. I’m hoping they will both surprise me and be articulate and intelligent. Right now, I want everyone who has the potential to be a leader in this country to have an abundant supply of those qualities. My version of supply side economics.
Monday, September 29, 2008
No More Juice
George W. will very soon know if "this sucker is going to go down."
The failure of today’s economic rescue bill is an indication of how little juice is left in the vessel that was the Bush Administration. In the midst of a serious crisis and after numerous warnings about its seriousness, his own party repudiated him today. With the markets tumbling, Republican members of Congress voted against the measure by a two to one margin. We’ll find out how urgent was the passage of this bill in the days and weeks ahead. What we do know is that Bush futures aren’t even trading. There just isn’t a market for them.
It doesn’t bode well for John McCain. Voters are likely to choose to vote for anybody else rather than vote in another Republican President.
It doesn’t bode well for John McCain. Voters are likely to choose to vote for anybody else rather than vote in another Republican President.
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